BTS Break Dancers - Bangkok

It sounds strange to say but if we're lucky and live long enough we enter an age where we're forced to take extra care moving around so we don't "fall and break something". Even such mundane activities as climbing stairs, strolling along uneven sidewalks or bathing can be a permanently life-changing event past the age of 60; earlier for some. I have a friend my age who's mending a leg, ankle and ribs at home as you read this. I'm not quite there yet, but it's on the horizon close enough to see clearly. There are some near and dear to me who've already entered the "bag of glass" stage and are dealing with the results of it.

When we're young we often think of ourselves as indestructible; caution not merely being thrown to the wind but disregarded entirely. I was reminded of this late one pleasant evening in Bangkok while returning from a movie with a friend, and it certainly gave me pause to think.

Walking along the elevated walkways that connect the National Stadium BTS station with MBK mall and the other three corners at the intersection of Phaya Thai and Rama I roads I could hear boom box music coming from the area closer to the BTS station, and asked my friend if he minded taking a detour to see what it was. "Dancing," he said, probably having seen it a thousand times, but he turned to head that way with me.

A large oval had formed on the wide walkway, edged mainly by college-age kids who sat cross-legged or squatted and watched (or joined in in turn) with the dozen or so who were practicing steps and break dance moves/routines. One knot of them were involved with a casual tag team-type competition of sorts; each taking their turn to show their stuff.

As you can see some wore protective headgear or knee guards but many just flung themselves around on the stone tiles with no less than reckless abandon, demonstrating that air of indestructibility I mentioned a few paragraphs ago.

A couple in particular seemed to be a few "moves" ahead of the others there that evening and put on an impressive display, whirling like dervishes. It made me wonder if it was merely youthful enthusiasm that fueled their energy of if they were artificially stimulated by means of the controlled substance known there as yaba (pronounced yah-bah, meaning methamphetamine). I suspect it was a combination of both in many cases. The shirtless young man in the black pants seemed to be wound pretty tightly, for whatever reason.

In the clip below I caught one occasion where the guy in the purple shirt came toward him as if to say "nice job, now watch this" and was abruptly pushed back by the shirtless guy who then goes on to do an extended head spin. It gives me a headache just watching it!

It's an agility I remember from my distant past - and I love seeing it, if for no other reason than it reminds me of the days when I wouldn't have dislocated something trying it myself!

[Note: These clips are "HD"/high definition clips you can watch in that mode, if you have a fast enough internet connection. The layout scheme I chose for Bao-Bao's Blog doesn't allow displaying a wide-screen clip very well. Nothing I seem to be able to do about that at this point - perhaps I'll figure a way of altering the code some day.]

Jatujak Market, Part 1: An Overview

A family out shopping early one Saturday morning

The Jatujak Weekend Market can be an overwhelming experience, even if you've already been there a few times. Also known as Chatuchak Market (or just "JJ" among many locals) it's a test of endurance on a few levels - feet, stamina, vacation budgets, heat tolerance, claustrophobia and personal hydration, for example - but it's an experience I strongly advise all visitors to try at least once. Then when you've had enough, leave. For those with no sense of adventure whatsoever there's still the Suan Lum Night market adjoining Lumpini Park, although they continue to threaten to bulldoze it away. We'll cover that another day. [Summer 2012: the Suan Lum is now gone, by the way - Bao-Bao]

My first visit was back in 2003, guided by a long lost Thai friend who was then going by the name of Voy. Actually "lost" isn't accurate, but let's be kind and say I've made the acquaintance of other Thai friends since wishing Voy a good life and let it go at that. Voy had arrived on his own personal “Thai time” schedule (a bit after 1pm – instead of 8:00) and took my farang friend and I via BTS to the Mo Chit station at the northern end of the Sukhumwit line. From the elevated station platform we could see - stretching off into the distance - roofs of a small portion of the most unbelievable open-air market you can imagine.

Looking down about a third of one of the long, covered buildings

Depending on which estimate you choose to believe there are between 10,000 to 15,000 vendor stalls on the official grounds, most crowded together side by side under a series of long, high corrugated metal roofed buildings, covering the better part of 35 acres (or 70 Thai “rai”) like a regular weekend flea market on steroids. Some stalls - primarily produce, I'm told - are open on Friday, but the main market itself runs from 9am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. On any given weekend day between 250,000 to 300,000 people wander their way through the heat and humidity to shop for the best bargains in Bangkok. Not especially well organized but loosely grouped by item types, it’s a labyrinth of mythological proportions.

A photo of a map/sign - one of many to help guide you around

From the "official" map sign pictured above you can see there are hundreds of the buildings I mentioned above. In addition to this mapped area there's an additional area of homewares, fish and aquariums and an enclosed air conditioned mall not surprisingly known as JJ Mall. The mall is open every day and has many of the things a shopper would want - except many of the surprises and experience of the monstrous market itself, which is worth the effort.

A stall of religious statuary, one of dozens

Almost everything you can imagine, a lot you can’t and some things you probably shouldn’t are all available for purchase here: packaged and freshly cooked food of all varieties, all types of traditional and modern clothing, herbal remedies, leather goods of all kinds, electronics, music, animals, thousands of tropical fish, jewelry, orchids, medicines, appliances, software, plants, furniture, china, pottery, everything but humans themselves - and I’d imagine they were available for rent in some part of the market as well, if you catch my drift.

Creatures you (thankfully) don't often see outside of a zoo are available as pets

Enclosed “aircon” eateries rub elbows with a stall of musical instruments next to ATM machines, sandwiched between stalls of religious statues and artifacts that adjoin a small cock fighting ring – it seemed that every turn we took (and we wandered for hours) brought a surprise. My index finger cramped from taking so many pictures.

One of many places to eat - some smaller than this, some seating hundreds

By leaving the hotel at 1:00 that first visit we began with the deck stacked against us, and I've never gone there in the afternoon again. By 12:00 noon the covered buildings become large convection ovens. If you knew what you were going there for and precisely where to find it you could probably get in and out without roasting, but unless you thrive in the heat it just takes too much of the fun out of it for me. I like the wandering, the people watching, the sights and sounds - and that's so much nicer with the temperature less than 100F+ and without everything you're wearing stuck firmly to your body with perspiration.

There's no way to do "JJ" justice in a single post, so I'll break it up into some sort of sections. Today is your introduction - in Part 2 I'll share some guidelines based on my experiences that you may find helpful, and past that we'll cover some specific areas and stories.

From the air. Detail on this image to come

Night Photos, Part 5

While wandering around the night market in Chiang Mai

If you look in the column on the right hand side of the page (below the Archive, Legalese and Other Sites spots) you'll see a list of labels where you can see (or re-visit) posts that feature examples of my night photography. It's an area I'm really interested in, and something I'll explore much more on my next visit to Thailand. Available light photos add an entirely new dimension to the hobby, and there's still so much I want to learn.

Here today are a few more of varying quality and style, taken in various places on different trips there.

An alternate shot of the above image was used in the post It Was A Dark And Story Night . You can see Dong Muang Airport in the upper left and Downtown Bangkok in the distance.

The fire dancer in this last picture was performing at a cultural dinner in Chiang Mai, back in 2003.

Accommodations, Part 6: The Poseidon Guesthouse in Jomtien

The Poseidon Boutique Guesthouse in Jomtien may be a little out of the way for those hell-bent on whooping it up while staying in Pattaya, but that's also a large part of it's charm for this old dog.

Unless you have your heart set on multi-level indoor mall shopping you can find almost anything else you'd want within a few blocks of the Poseidon: miles of beach, thousands of chairs and umbrellas, a book store or two, newstands, a variety of restaurant cuisine, beer bars and clubs and yes - even some nighttime entertainment. Pattaya itself is just a short 10 minute ride away, if you really want malls and crowds and traffic. If you want to be right in the heart of the nightlife in Pattaya proper I'd recommend Baan Dok Mai, also a friendly place but of a more basic style. Both have their good points.

The Poseidon rates may sound a bit higher, but I've found it to be a good value for both that I've tried: the Superior room and the VIP Studio. Nightly rates in low season on their web site today are (approximately) between US$43 for a Superior room and US$77 for the VIP Studio. For high season the same rooms would be US$53 and US$91. I've not stayed in the Master Suite because at 80 square meters (861 square feet) it's far beyond my needs, space-wise.

The Standard room is actually more of a level other places might call a Superior room. The decor is tastefully done, the towels and linens are of a very good quality, there's a desk of adequate proportion - something often lacking - and the basic items you'd expect to find (the TV, room safe and VCD player, for example) are all above the norm. In fact, I found the VCD player to be a handy way to play music in the room.

They provide a fairly full range of items in the mini-bar but as I always prefer to stock my own snacks and beverages they've always been good about sending housekeeping up to remove their stock - something I learned long ago helped avoid unexplained charges on check-out, and something I now ask for at every hotel. Just to be clear, though: I've never had an unexplained charge at Poseidon.

As is the case at most of my favorite places in Thailand, the staff themselves are a feature. Pleasant, welcoming and professional they have the luxury of not having so many rooms that they can't keep track of who's staying with them, and they not only remember you when you're coming and going they look as if they actually care and aren't merely going through the motion of being polite. Hospitality staff can be a somewhat transient occupation, but many of the Poseidon folks have been there for a while, and it's nice to see familiar faces each time I stay there.

Normally I tend to stay in lodging a little more simple (it makes a longer stay a bit easier on the pocketbook and frees up funds for some charity work I enjoy) but they have VIP Studios at the Poseidon with not only a shower area of generous proportions, but a Jacuzzi. There's just no better way to relax and mull over the day after showering off the sweat and dust, and I've enjoyed them immensely. If one of those rooms is available, I highly recommend booking it. If it's been a hot day, try it with the water just barely warm. Heavenly!

Breakfast at the Poseidon is an activity best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. My personal preference is outside on their front terrace to watch the area come alive, but you can sit inside if you prefer. The juice and fruits are always fresh, likewise the delicate croissant, the coffee is "real" coffee - and the omelets are made to order. Grab a paper from the lobby table and take your time! Some of my nicest memories of the place are my quiet breakfasts there, and the chats with the staff while they take and deliver my order and then go about their regular morning duties, tidying up, sweeping, that sort of thing. Sadly one of my favorite waiters has moved on to another hotel, but nothing lasts forever. We'll catch up with him in another post, another day.

From the front door you're maybe 30 feet from where you'd catch the song taew on Thapraya Road into Pattaya proper, if that was your plan for the day or evening. It's 10 baht to ride it either direction, and they're both regular as clockwork and easy to flag down: hold your hand out, palm down, and sort of cup your four fingers down and in quickly two or three times, as if you were grabbing a handle. That's also the way you'd call someone over to join you, as the upturned crooking of the index finger we'd use in the West is considered to be impolite.

There's been major re-paving done on Thapraya over the past couple of years and I understand that while it's nearly completed there's still work being done. At least it isn't the 20 minutes of dirt, dust and delays.

If you go out the front door and go the other direction (to the right) you'll be at the shoreline in about 300 yards by making a few turns, not "as the crow flies". On your way you'll pass the one club with an actual show: the Venue. They have a full singing/dancing/cabaret show that I've yet to see but am told is fun. At the Venue corner you'd make a couple more quick turns before taking a right onto Thapraya road again and the short stroll to the beach. You'll see better what I mean on the Poseidon's location map and aerial map below.

You'll arrive at the beach near the main sign for Dongtan Beach, and all along there you'll find many places happy to rent you a chair in the shade for the day for about 50 baht. We'll visit the beach another day, too - but just to give you a point of reference. Naturally I can't say there aren't other places to stay that are closer to the beach than the Poseidon - but none I've stayed in so far that I've liked as well.

[Note: like PJ's Place in Chiang Mai The Poseidon is a smaller venue and very popular with return visitors. It books up quickly, so do your best to make reservations early to avoid being disappointed. Now (August) is not too early if you're thinking of a VIP Studio during January. By the way - someone's sure to ask about guests: For your safety IDs are recorded and held at the reception desk. There is no charge for guest visits.]

Map from the Poseiden web site

The Poseidon is the green star on the map above

A Follow-up To Yesterday's Post

At sunset on a Jomtien area beach, just to have an image for today

A reader left a comment about yesterday's post that deserved more of an answer than would gracefully fit into the "comments" section, so I'm replying today. As a reminder:

The initial idea behind Bao-Bao's Blog was to provide a place for me to share my photos, stories and observations without the usual nonsense involved with online forums (i.e. profanity, flaming and other abuse) -- and hopefully help two categories of people who may stumble across it: Newbies who are seeking some information before a first or second trip and old-timers who enjoy just being reminded about the Land of Smiles. Some have been kind enough to let me know they look at it regularly, and I'm flattered.

It is - and will remain - relatively "G-Rated" - and that rules out much "adult" detail. For anyone interested about the nightlife in the more colorful parts of town there are already plenty of sites online as reference.

That out of the way, I've paraphrased and numbered yesterday's comment questions below.

1) Are the "Adult" bar and club shows production numbers or strip shows?

Both, in some clubs... only one or the other in some, only "stand and pose" in others. By walking past the clubs the touts will let you know - usually in explicit detail - if there's a show involved. Again, check some other web sites where nightlife discussions are held.

2) How much nudity is allowed on stage in Thailand?

Officially? None. It depends on what bribes have been paid to look the other way, and to whom.

3) Is pornography legal in Thailand?

No. That's not to say it isn't available, but adult items of any sort are rare - with two exceptions: "sexy movies" are readily available in many night markets and computer malls (see a post about those touts here) and condoms are widely (and wisely) available at most convenience stores, like 7-11.

4) What about the government crack down on clubs several years ago?

See #2. There's a continual ebb and flow to what shows are on, and where. Gay clubs seem to bear more of the brunt of "tea money" enforcement, but I don't have any facts to back that opinion up.

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate you participating.

Pre-Show Free Show

If it's fair to say that there's a "seedy" side to Bangkok's night life (and that's being generously fair, trust me) it's certainly true for the beach side resort town of Pattaya. We're not going to enter into a debate about it at this point, but while on walks into the evening and night hours - when the temperature is most pleasant - I've taken a number of photos and had many interesting visits with the club workers themselves. A few of those stories have already appeared here (Where The Wild Boys Live, First Go-Go Interview: Na and Noi's story).

A reader asked if I'd do a post of activity in the night club area with some photos of the guys, and I ran across a few yesterday I'd taken in Pattaya in mid-December 2008 (note the Christmas decorations and potted poinsettias) while walking back to my hotel from a late dinner. I'd heard music coming from around the corner while on Second Road and looking around the corner saw a group of dancers from a club out in front, doing routines to draw customers inside for the show that would begin in about a half hour.

I stood and watched while taking a few shots of the dancers, and after they finished and were milling about before going back into the club I asked if they'd gather for a posed group shot. They seemed happy to oblige.

Those of you who read a forum I've posted to may well recognize the second (Dancing) shot as being one of a dozen or so I'd cropped down and loaned to an online forum. You'll see full versions of the others eventually, too. Leave a comment if there was one in particular you'd like to see here.

The last item today is one of three clips I took with the snapshot camera, which obviously doesn't do well in low-light situations. You'll see several cars and song taews passing between me on my side of the street and the dancers on theirs, but that's just part and parcel of the experience.

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At The Shore, Part 2: Childish Joys

Wouldn't you agree the most corny lines ever from a personals ad has to be "I like long walks on the beach"? If I had a ten baht coin for every time I've seen that old chestnut used I'd be a very wealthy man at any exchange rate in any country. Nevertheless, in my case it's a truism: a slow stroll along the shoreline at or shortly past dawn is one of my favorite ways to begin a day while on vacation. Late afternoon through sunset is such a close second I really can't pick a favorite; both have their unique charm.

Because there's so much more activity and far more people on the beach in the afternoons I usually get more photos later in the day. Just as you'd expect anywhere, families and groups of friends gather to share food and fun along the shoreline - and most days it's a rich harvest of images if I keep my eyes open and the camera ready. I go through batteries faster having the viewfinder on all the time, but I learned long ago to bring an extra set along with me.

A father helping his son learn how to swim

Children tend to be the best subjects, and my theory is it's because they're the most uninhibited about letting loose, being silly and having fun. A line from "A Thousand Clowns", one of my favorite old movies goes "Children are too honest to be wise," and there's a lot of logic to that. The main reason a child is unhappy that they laugh so hard the milk they were drinking comes out of their nose is because it's uncomfortable. With luck their misfortune will surprise their friends into doing the same thing! For an adult it's humiliating. The people in today's pictures are out having fun with complete abandon, and it's great fun to watch, especially when my mind is more willing than my middle-aged body.

For some reason I don't fully understand we seem to fall into believing the old claptrap we were told as we were officially leaving childhood when we were first admonished to "act our age". Frankly, my body reminds me to act my age quite often enough, thank you - I refuse to waste an opportunity to be a child every so often unless I absolutely have to put on the hat of dignity and make like an adult.

Floating along on a rented inner tube

Talented Topiary Trimmers

While I've admired the skill and dedication it must take to maintain the thousands of public gardens throughout Thailand - most of which feature at least a few carefully trimmed shrubs, hedges and topiary pieces - I hadn't stopped very often to make more than passing note of the people who maintain them.

While walking along in the Ratchethewi area at Petcha Buri Road one day I noticed someone doing some of this work out among the traffic islands at a large intersection and stopped to watch for a few minutes. It's undoubtedly hot work, made no cooler by the clothing she was wearing: a long sleeved shirt, long pants, a hat and what actually looked like a t-shirt but may have been a scarf or Muslim-type headpiece wrapped around her face. My guess was that it was protection from fumes.

Despite the heat and exhaust of countless cars, trucks and tuk-tuks (which can often spew exhaust that equals of a much larger vehicle) she was focused on her task; pausing often to lean back for a better look before making a few practiced swipes with her large shears. I was surprised she could concentrate at all, what with the continual roar of traffic and the fumes - they were making me a little woozy, or so it seemed. Might have just been the heat. Anyway, we exchanged smiles before she went back to her work and I went on my way.

Another day I was walking past Peace Park on Ratchawithi Road (near the now burned out Central One mall - seen here in better times) and saw the man below doing similar work, although he wasn't doing the same detailed topiary type of trimming that day. He knew a little English so we could exchange pleasantries and he happily accepted the bottle of fresh orange juice I'd bought for him from a cart vendor who's often there. I haven't seen him there since, but I was glad to run into him that one time, and I make a point to be more appreciative their craftsmanship when I see it there now.

Life Imitates Art

I'm not yet 60, but sometimes I think my mind's going.

I'd been going through folders of images this morning, looking for pictures taken at BTS stations for a post in progress, but invariably ended up opening and adjusting unrelated photos - one after another after another. The end result is yet another couple of dozen pictures to post at SOME point, but not the few needed to illustrate the story I wanted to post today.

One that caught my eye was the picture above, taken at a Swenson's ice cream parlor during Christmas time in 2008. Odds are the young man behind the counter will never actually see a snowman in real life, but there one was as a graphic on the signboard to his right, complete with cherry eyes and the triangular wafer Swenson's used for decades here in California. The only store left here now is the original store in San Francisco that opened in 1948. There are still franchises throughout the world, though, including quite a few in Thailand.

There. You see how easily I'm distracted?

The point of the photo is how the young man unwittingly struck the same "pose" as the counter card (although he has a mouth and is lacking a scarf) while helping a customer.

More on Swenson's when we get back to the "Same Same, but different" series.

Superstitions: Speaking About Death

The two-lane road from Chiang Mai up to the beautiful mountaintop temple Doi Suthep is a series of switchbacks and blind turns, none of it graced by guard rails or enough heavy shrubbery to keep one from making an end-over-end detour a ways down the extremely steep mountainside.

I was reminded yesterday about a ride back down that winding road on my first trip to Thailand. The Thai friend along with me that day was named Voy, the “first generation” off of the family farm into the Big Mango that is Bangkok. Although he had already been Westernized to a degree he was a country boy at heart, and seemed happier in Chiang Mai than in Silom.

He’d suggested we commission a song taew (a pick-up truck with a metal roof over the back to cover the bench seats along the sides) to take just the two of us up to the temple, wait while we wandered around, and then drive us back down into Chiang Mai to my hotel by the Ping river.

It had been misting the whole time we were at the temple and had begun raining in earnest by the time we were headed back down the mountain towards town, and the driver seemed to be in a hurry. He was going far too fast for my comfort on a road that was now slick with rain, in addition to being twisty.

I was hanging tightly onto the bars along the inside, wondering how I'd fare in the semi-open back of this truck if the tires lost grip on the asphalt and we attempted a "shortcut" into town. Other than the two of us there were no others in the back and I imagined us tumbling around like sheets in a dryer. I asked Voy to tell the driver to please slow down. "I don't want to arrive back at the guest house dead," I said.

From the look on his face you'd have thought I'd just suggested Voy had enjoyed having relations with his mother the previous night. He was absolutely shocked. More than shocked, really; his face paled as he gasped in surprise and then said (more forcefully than I’d ever heard him speak) "NEVER say this! VERY bad luck!" I understood and immediately apologized, but he continued to frown - although he did ask the driver to slow down. He then sat silently, his brow knitted as we rode along, the tires singing on the wet pavement.

There was a break in the rain so we made a stop at a scenic vista point (panorama photo above) where he quickly fired up a cigarette while I played tourist and took photos. Soon he calmed down and began to clown around in his usual manner. By the time we were climbing back into the truck it was evident he’d let it go, and we joked about many things the rest of the way... except dying.